Yorùbá Rònú: Amotekun Is Not The Enemy

By Yusuf Idowu

In a time when insecurity threatens the very soul of our communities, and trust in centralized authority continues to erode, one truth stands clear like the midday sun: Amotekun is not just a security outfit. Amotekun is an embodiment of the Yoruba people’s will to survive, protect, and preserve their heritage.

Let it be stated without ambiguity — the Osun Amotekun Corps is not illegal, rogue, or political. It is a creation of law, passed through all the legislative processes required by a competent State House of Assembly. Its mandate is clear: to assist in securing the lives and properties of Osun indigenes and residents. And since inception, the Amotekun Corps in Osun has delivered on this mandate with dedication, courage, and tangible results.

THE WAR AGAINST AMOTEKUN: WHO BENEFITS?

In recent times, we’ve witnessed disturbing reports of harassment, intimidation, and even forceful invasion of Amotekun offices by operatives of the Nigeria Police. These acts are not only unconstitutional but symbolically dangerous. They send the message that a lawful regional effort to protect the people can be trampled underfoot — all in the name of central authority and politics.

To those who rejoice at the embarrassment of Amotekun because it suits their political narrative — ask yourselves: what will be left when chaos comes to your doorstep? Who will stand for you when the centralized system fails again, as it has so many times before?

Let it be clear: Amotekun is apolitical. Its allegiance is not to a party but to the people. The safety of Yoruba sons and daughters, whether rich or poor, Muslim or Christian, is the beating heart of Amotekun’s mission. Undermining that mission is a betrayal of our collective interest.

SECURITY IS NOT A GAME – IT IS SURVIVAL

To those attacking Amotekun on social media with careless words, know this: security is not an arena for political clout-chasing or tribal mockery. Every outfit, every patrol, every successful operation by Amotekun represents a community made safer, a life potentially saved, a crime prevented.

Where were you when bandits turned highways into hunting grounds? Where were your tweets when farmers abandoned their lands for fear of herdsmen attacks? It is Amotekun that stepped into that gap. It is Amotekun that restored confidence in many rural communities.

So, Yoruba Ronu! Think! We must never allow political bitterness to cloud our cultural vision. Amotekun is not a political party. Amotekun is a cultural response to a national emergency.

A WORD TO THE POLICE

We recognize the role of the Nigeria Police, and we acknowledge the authority of the Inspector General of Police. But there is a Yoruba proverb that says: “Ilé là bọ̀ sí mi ọkọ” — the home is where one returns when the world outside grows dangerous.

The Police must tread carefully. Bursting into Amotekun offices as though raiding a criminal hideout is an insult — not just to the corps, but to the will of the people of Osun State. The Amotekun Corps is not a CAC-registered NGO. It is a statutory security agency, backed by law.

This clash is not a turf war. It is a test of whether Nigeria respects the federalism it claims to practice. Osun has the constitutional right to establish and operate Amotekun. Anything less than that recognition is a slide into unitary dictatorship.

TO OUR ROYAL FATHERS AND GOVERNORS: THE TIME TO SPEAK IS NOW

Where are the voices of our traditional rulers? Where are the defenders of our ancient kingdoms — the Obas who have sworn to protect their people from internal and external aggression?

An attack on Amotekun in Osun is an attack on every Yoruba community. Silence is not neutrality. It is endorsement. We call on all royal fathers, cultural leaders, and governors across the South West to rise in unison. As the saying goes, “An injury to one is an injury to all.”

Do not let politics divide us on this sacred duty of self-preservation. The walls are cracking. And when the walls of a compound break, it is not only the lizards that come in — snakes and monsters do too.

YORUBA RONU: LET HISTORY REMEMBER WHERE YOU STOOD

This is a pivotal moment in our history. The decision we make now — to defend Amotekun or to destroy it — will echo into the future. Will we be remembered as a people who sabotaged their own protection? Or as those who stood boldly to defend their dignity and destiny?

Yoruba Ronu. Think deeply. Speak wisely. Act boldly.

Amotekun is not the enemy. Amotekun is our heritage. Amotekun has come to stay.

Written By: Yusuf Idowu Abass, a journalist and PR expert